PRESS DIGEST - China - June 30

SHANGHAI, June 30 (Reuters) - Chinese newspapers available in Beijing and Shanghai carried the following stories on Tuesday. Reuters has not checked the stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

CHINA SECURITIES JOURNAL

- The upward trend in China's stock market has not changed given a growing economy, ample liquidity and expectations of further reform policies, the newspaper said in a commentary, citing analysts.

21st CENTURY BUSINESS HERALD

- China's economic growth could be 6.96 percent in the first half of this year and 6.97 percent in the whole year, said Wang Hongju, director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, adding the nation could continue to cut interest rate in the next six months.

- Approvals by the National Development and Reform Commission for infrastructure project investment in June hit 250 billion yuan ($40.27 billion), according to the newspaper's calculations.